Automatic car-holding device.



No. 678,209. Pagemdluly 9; mol.4

w. A. wlLsoN. UTUMTIG CAR HULDING DEVICE.

(Application filed Dec. 22, 1900.)

I (l 4l|| al rlilimliliiiiilllli lill" [Nl/EN TOR UNITED STATES 'PATENTOFFICE.

WILLIAM A. wILsON, onMURrI-Irsnono, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC CAR-HOLDING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 678,209, dated July 9,1901. I

Application tiled December Z2, 1900. Serial No. 40,819. (No model.)

To 1f/ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. WILSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Murphysboro, in the county of Jackson, State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in AutomaticCar-Holding Devices, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to automatic carholding devices, and particularlyto such a device adapted to automatically engage and release amining-car when upon a hoistingplatform or other movable support.

The invention has for an object to provide means for automaticallyengaging the wheels of a car after the same has reached its properposition upon the platform and for releasing such means when the car isto be removed from said platform.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic device forstopping and holding the car in position for engagement by the retainingdevices. A further object of the invention is to provide means to beoperated by the car for returning the stopping device to its initialposition for engagement with the Wheels of a subsequent car.

Other and further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear inthe following specification, and the novel features thereof will bepointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure lis a plan showing my invention applied to aplatform. Fig. 2

is a side elevation of the platform with a car thereon and the restoringdevice in operative position, and Fig. 3 is an end elevation showing infull lines the position of the holdingdogs when shifted to release acar.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

The invention may be applied to any desired support and in the presentcase is illustrated in connection with a platform or cage Q, such as isordinarily used in mine-elevators, upon which the car containingmaterial is placed. At one side of the center of this platform a pivotedchock or tumbler A is mounted, preferably by means of a dependingbracket A from the under side of the sirable.

terward rises behind the wheel to hold the same. The chock is preventedfrom moving downward below the track in a direction opposite to thatshown by dotted lines in Fig. 2 by the wall of the recess within whichit moves, which acts as a stop to limit the movement in that direction.Operating in connection with these checks are keepers C, pivoted at C tothe platform and provided at one end with a contact-shoe C2 for thewheel. The

opposite end of each keeper forms a lever C3,

by means of which the keeper may be operated. My invention contemplatesthe use of one or more of these keepers, and when two of the same areused they are preferably connected together by means of the crank-armsG, extending from the shaft F and connected with the levers C3 by meansof the pivoted links E. The lower end of the shaft F is provided with acrank-arm H, from which an operating-rod I extends to the edge of theplatform and is suitably supported and guided by means of a keeper I'.This rod may be operated by any desired means, one form of which will behereinafter described, and an inward movement of the rod by means of theconnections just described throws the shoes C2 into positionover thetrack upon the platform.

` For the purpose of securely retaining the carin proper position uponthe platform a holding-dog Dy has been provided and one or more of thesame may be used, as found de- This dog is pivotally mounted at D inbrackets D2 and provided at its lower portion with a weight W, carriedbyv a curved ,arm D3, so disposed as to normally throw the holding-doginto position over the track, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. Thedog D may be of any suitable configuration, preferably looped, as shown,and offset, as at D4, to permit the loop to accurately and closelyengage the tread of the wheel. When theloop l assumes the position shownby dotted lines in IOO Figs. l and 3, the edge thereof engages the leverC3 of the keeper, as shown at r, thereby throwing the shoe of the keeperoutward from the track, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. l. This permitsthe car to be rolled from the platform as soon as the holding-dogs arereleased. If the car is to be removed from the platform or cage at thetop of a mining-shaft, the cage will be permitted to rest upon somefixed support-such, for instance, as shown at O in Fig. 3, by means ofwhich the Weights upon the dogs are supported and the dogs shifted tothe position shown by full lines in Fig. 3. v

A similar action occurs Wh en the cage reaches the bottom of ashaft andcontacts with a fixed stop O. The Weights used upon the dogs and alsoupon the checks may be replaced by springs, which are wellknownmechanical equivalents.

When the car has been released and is rolled 'from the cage, its Wheelengages a track-cam B, which constitutes a restoring device for thekeepers. The cam is provided with a bell-crank arm B', having its freeend located in a notch formed in a bolt or push-pin L. This pin isnormally retracted and the cam B elevated by means of a coiled spring M,bearing against the head L of the pin and a fixed support. In Fig. 2 thecam is shown as depressed and the pin projected, as'When a Wheel isresting thereon, and the elevated position of the cam is indicated bydotted lines. The contact end of the pin L bears against a head I2,formed upon the end of the rod I, and when projected restores thekeepers to their position for engaging the next car rolled upon theplatform or cage.

In the operation of the invention if the platform be at the bottom of ashaft the car rolled thereon will engage the shoe C2 of the keepers, theparts being in the position shown in Fig. The checks A are alsodepressed as the Wheel passes over the same and rise behind the wheel,(see Fig. 2,) so that the car is centered upon the platorm. As soon asthe platform rises to release the Weights of the holding dogs from theirsupports said Weights throw the dogs inward into contact With the car-Wheel, (sce dotted line, Fig. 3,) and at the same time the keepers arethrown outward away from the Wheels Which they first engaged. Vhen thecar is to be removed from the platform,the dogs are released in anydesired manner-for instance, by the support O--and the car rolled fromthe platform onto the trackcam B, which automatically shifts the keepersinto position for receiving and centering the next car placed upon theplatform. It will thus be seen that the operation of the device isentirely automatic and a correct centering of the car upon the platformsecured, so that the holding devices may grasp the Wheels. Furthermore,When the car is removed from the platform the parts are restored totheir initial position and ready for further operation. Vhile thepresent invention is capable of use in any desired relation, it has beenfound particularly advantageous for operation in connection with theholding-dog disclosed in my Patent No. 656,279, dated August 2l, 1900.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the details of constructionand configuration of the several parts Without departing from the spiritof the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what Idesire toclaim and secure by Letters Patent isl. A car-holding device comprisinga platform, a pivoted keeper thereon having ashoe adapted to engage acar-wheel, means for holding a Wheel of said car and shifting saidkeeper from the wheel held thereby, and means operated by aWheel-contact beyond the keeper for restoring said keeper to its initialposition; substantially as specified.

2. A car-holding device comprising a platform, a pivoted keeper thereonhavingashoe adapted to engage a 'car-wheel, means for holding a Wheel ofsaid carand shifting said keeper, means for restoring said keeper to itsinitial position, and means for normally 4moving said holding meanstoward said Wheel;

substantially as specified.

3. A car-holding device comprising a platform, a pivoted keeper thereonhaving a shoe adapted to engage a car-Wheel, means for holding a Wheelof said car and shifting said keeper, means for restoring said keeper toits initial position, and a pivoted chock adapted to engage a car-Wheelin connection with said keeper; substantially as specified.

4:. A car-holding device comprising a platform provided With a trackthereon, a holding-dog pivotally mounted on said platform y below saidtrack and adapted to swing in- Ward to embrace a Wheel of a car, andmeans l to automatically throw said dog in contact with said car-wheelin the movement of the platform, and a keeper having a portion in IOOTIO

the path of said dog to shift said keeper from engagement With a Wheelin the movement of the dog toward another wheel; substantiall y asspecified.

5. A car-holding device comprising a platform provided With a trackthereon, a holding-dog pivotally mounted on said platform and adapted toengage a Wheel of a car, means to normally hold said dog in contact withsaid car-wheel, and a pivoted keeper adapted to 1 engage a car-wheel andprovided With a lever adapted to be engaged by said dog to shift thekeeper from said Wheel; substantially as specified.

6. A car-holding device comprising a platform provided With a trackthereon, a holding-dog pivotally mounted on said platform and adapted toengage a Wheel of a car, means to normally hold said dog in contact withsaid car-Wheel, a pivoted keeper adapted to engage a car-Wheel andprovided with a lever adapted to be engaged by said dog to shift thekeeper from said Wheel, and means independent from said platform forrestoring said keeper t-o its initial position substantially asspecified.

7. In a car-holding device the combination with a platform provided witha,track,'of a pivotally-mounted chock adapted to engage a car-wheel,means forV restoring 4said chock to its initial position when depressed,and a keeper adapted to engage the wheel engaged by said4A chock at theopposite side thereof; substantially as specified.

8. In a car-holding devicethe combination with a platform provided withtracks, of oppositely-located keepers adapted to travel in a horizontalplane toward and from each other and havingl upwardly-extending shoesdisposed in the path of said tracks, levers at the opposite endsof saidkeepers, a pivoted shaft provided with crank-arms,1inks extended fromsaid arms to said levers, a crank upon the lower portion of said shaft,and an operating-rod extending from said crank toward the edge of saidplatform; substantially as specified.

9. In a car-holding device the combination with a platform provided withtracks, of oppositely-disposed keepers having shoes disposed in the pathof said tracks,levers at the opposite ends of said keep'ers, a pivotedshaft provided with crank-arms, links extended from said arms to saidlevers, a crank upon the lower portion of said shaft, an operatingrodextending from said crank toward the edge of said platform,means forengaging said levers to shift said shoes from the tracks, and means forengaging said rod to restore said shoes to their initial position;substantially as specified.

tion with a platform provided with wheelholding devices, of a track-camlocated upon a xed support and provided with a crankarm, a push-pinnormally retracted under tension, and means carried by said platformwhereby said pin is adapted to shift said holding devices; substantiallyas specified.

,11. In a car-holding device, the combination with a platformhavingtracks thereon, of a pivoted holding-dog adapted to embrace a car-wheel,a curved arm at a lower portion of said dog provided with arestoring-weight, a pivoted keeper provided at one end with a shoe andat its opposite end with a lever adapted to be engaged by said dog inits movement, a pivote/d chock located adjacent to said keeper andprovided with a restoringweight, and means for restoring the said keeperwhen shifted by said dog; substantially as specied. v

In testimony whereof I affix` my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. WILSON.

Witnessesi I R. J. McELvAIN, ED P. TROBAUGH.

"* v10. In a car-holding device, the'combina- V

